In general, software programs providing communication functions usually allow a user to save, organize and access relevant contact information through a graphical user interface (GUI), e.g., native phone applications in smartphones, email applications, social media network applications, game applications, etc. For example, an email directory in an email application may be displayed to present the addresses, phone numbers and other information about the contacts stored therein.
Conventionally, contact information is usually presented as a contact list (e.g., alphabetically) which facilitates a user to organize and access desired contact information. Unfortunately, if a user has a large number of contacts related to a particular software application, searching or navigating through a long list of contact information to access desired contact information is non-intuitive and can be time-consuming. Some applications allow a group of individual contacts to be collectively represented by a group identification, which is no more than a text label included in the contact list.
Further, it has become increasingly popular for users of messaging applications (email, texting and so on) and social media networks to share messages, discussions and multimedia with each other using mobile computing devices, such as smartphones or other tablets. However, the screen size is limited, often necessitating the use of small text that can be difficult to read, and multiple screen areas that require extra user interaction (scrolling) to display contact information. Furthermore, the messaging, contact selection and sharing functionalities on mobile devices are usually poorly integrated and limited. For instance, a user typically needs to shoot a video clip using a software application native to a mobile device (e.g., the “camera” feature), and then open another application software and use its “share” feature which allows the user to access the video from a gallery folder and post it to a social media network of choice. The posting process may also be complex, requiring several selections, etc.
Conventional social network applications designed for mobile computing devices have insufficient features for users to manage and organize recipients efficiently within the applications. A user is often forced to manage contact information through a web browser on a different type of device (usually a desktop personal computer, through a web browser interface, etc.) before sharing a message with the selected recipients. In other words, the functionality to modify or group together contacts is not allowed on the mobile device. Moreover, a user is typically forced to first choose recipients before composing the content of a message. These existing methods inevitably restrict the users' ability, for instance, to capture spontaneous moments with pictures and video and then quickly share them with a wide audience.